LONDON: The Tourism Ministry will focus more on potential niche markets next year to help boost Malaysia's tourism industry, said its minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

She said the niche areas included health tourism, ecotourism, Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme and domestic tourism via the Zoom Malaysia programme.

She said the strategy was aimed at increasing the number of tourist arrivals in the country and help generate national income while facing the world economic crisis.

"We will focus on niche markets next year such as conventions, medicaltourism, educationtourism and the MM2H programme. Aggressive promotion is being carried out," she told reporters after visiting Tourism Malaysia's office on Wednesday.

She said the ministry would also concentrate on value-added tourism to ensure tourists who loved scuba diving or extreme sports would return to Malaysia for another round of great experience.

"Some tourists who really enjoy the outdoor activities here will definitely come again. Tourists from Japan and Korea will return to Malaysia as they like to play golf and have a second home here," she said.

Apart from the niche markets, she said Malaysia would also focus on family and budget tourism.

She said the tourism industry generated RM46 billion for the economy last year and was the second largest contributor after manufacturing. - Bernama